Constructivist Teaching by Heart

Krista Calvert, EdD, is currently an elementary reading specialist in Kansas City, Kansas. She has taught elementary and middle school, served as a literacy coach and a school improvement coach, and led school and district-wide literacy initiatives. She teaches master’s level reading, children’s literature, and literacy intervention courses at Avila University. Dana McMillan is an education consultant working with educators on student engagement centered around a constructivist theory. Dana has dual degrees in elementary and early childhood education and a master’s degree in literacy education and taught early primary grades. She has consulted on the development of child-centered experiential learning programs for organizations throughout the United States.

Meet the Authors

Introduction: Are You a Constructivist?

Chapter 1: What is Teaching by Heart?

· Constructivist and Behaviorist: Piaget vs Skinner

· Dispositions

· Common Care Standards

· Engagement is the Heart of Teaching

· The Heart of a Constructivist

Chapter 2: Begin With Child Development

· The American Question: Can We Ignore Development?

· Looking at Students as Individuals: Child Development 101

· Considering Children’s Social and Emotional Development

· Allowing Children to Fail: Who is Really Responsible?

· High and Low: What Do We Mean When We Call Children “Low” or “High”?

· The Heart of Child Development

Chapter 3: One at a Time, All at Once

· A Balanced Schedule

· Classroom Spaces with Heart

· Adapting Materials to a Constructivist Approach

· The Power of Choice

· Project Work

· Assigning vs Teaching

· The Heart of Teaching One at a Time, All at Once

Chapter 4: Literacy with Heart

· Reading Mileage

· Conversations (Not Quizzes) about Books

· Multiple Read Alouds

· Love to Read?

· Teaching Phonics

· Vocabulary in Context

· Reader’s Theater, Book Talks, and Book Reviews (Oh, My!)

· The Heart of Literacy in the Constructivist Classroom

Chapter 5: Culturally Informed Instruction

· Culturally Relevant Teaching

· Windows, Mirrors, and Doorways

· Reaching Families with Heart

· Culturally Informed Instruction with Heart

Chapter 6: Reconsidering Common Practices through a Constructivist Lens

· Grade Level Teams

· Screen Time

· Rewards

· Curriculum

· Motivation

· The Heart of Our Beliefs

Conclusion: From Our Teachers’ Hearts to Yours

Bibliography

Bibliography of Children’s Literature Cited